


The Dying Leader's Duty

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-22
Updated: 2012-04-17
Packaged: 2017-11-02 08:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/367026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Months after the fleet's arrival on Earth and Laura's death, Lee begins to suspect his father of hiding something important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to charmed8620 for betaing! Written for the bsg_epics charity drive.

It was five months after the colonists had landed on Earth and Lee was thinking about his father. He'd been doing that a lot lately. He wondered how he was doing after Laura's death, was worried about him because he hadn't seen him since he'd gone off in the Raptor. 

If he had any idea of where he'd gone, he would have gone looking for him, but there was so much land out there that he could be anywhere. After four months of wandering and searching, Lee had returned to the village and settled. Exploring had very quickly lost its shine. The planet was a beautiful place and Lee knew they were lucky to have found it, but he couldn't help but wonder where his father was -- and whether, if he'd gone a few miles more, he'd have found him. 

One day, while wandering the marketplace, Lee got his answer.

There was his father, at the market stall Tigh that ran with Caprica Six. Lee paused, watching them. His father looked healthier than he had those last few months on _Galactica_ and he'd grown a mustache. Tigh was fitting Bill with a jacket and they were talking animatedly to each other. He looked good, Lee noted, and the way Tigh's hand lingered as he checked the fit, the way Bill smiled at him, told him all he needed to know. His father looked happy. Lee wasn't going to intrude. 

He waited until his father left (watching as they shared a quick peck on the lips as they parted), before approaching Tigh. He needed a pair of pants anyway. 

"Lee!" Tigh said enthusiastically. He hugged him, surprising Lee. "You just missed your dad."

_I know_ , Lee thought. _I didn't want to intrude_. "How is he?" 

"Oh, he's good." Tigh went into the tent behind the stall and returned with a tape measure. "What do you need?"

Lee told him and Tigh set to measuring him. 

"He's still living in that cabin, but we're good, me and him."

"You're together?" 

Tigh looked up at him. "Yeah," he said, watching Lee's face cautiously. "We are."

"Good," Lee said. "Congratulations," and Tigh's face relaxed. He paused. "But you don't live together?"

"No," Tigh said quietly. Obviously, he didn't like that. "But this works for now." He stood up. "Should have your pants in three days."

Lee was surprised. "You're going to…"

"Make them." Tigh was grinning. "You think I can't? I made everything I'm wearing. Everything your dad's wearing." 

Lee looked at Tigh's clothes. He wasn't bad. "Okay. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Saul looked at him critically. "What do you say to throwing in a hat, too? You need a warm hat when winter comes."

Before Lee could protest, Tigh had already wound the tape measure around his head. 

"You should come for dinner one night," he was saying. "Your dad will want to see you." 

"Well, I wouldn't want to intrude on your time together."

"'Course you wouldn't be." Tigh rolled up his tape measure and stuck it in his pocket. "You and me, we're all he's got. Saturday good for you?"

Lee nodded. "Okay. I'll be there."

Tigh clapped him on the shoulder. "Old man'll be happy to see you."

Lee moved on, then, threading his way through the people crowding the marketplace. He still wasn't _used_ to people, per se. He had spent so much time on his own since settling that it felt weird to be around others, to have to talk to them. 

When he had passed a few rows from where Tigh worked, he saw his father again. He was about to call out to him, since he was alone this time, but he stopped when he noticed what his father was buying.

Women's clothing. 

Why would his father need women's clothing?

Lee ducked behind a post a few stalls down from where Bill was and watched him. It was a secondhand shop and he was going through the clothes methodically, as if looking for something specific. From time to time, he'd consult a note he had in his breast pocket, and rejected a few items based on what he read there. 

They seemed to be mostly utilitarian items -- blouses, skirts, sweaters, trousers, a coat -- that would stand up to the weather and the realities of life on Earth. However, there were a few things that were a bit more frivolous -- a red dress, a nightgown. What was he doing?

And it wasn't just clothes, either. A hairbrush and other toiletry items. 

Almost the kinds of things one would keep at their place for a girlfriend. But that was ridiculous. His father didn't have a girlfriend. Laura Roslin had been dead for months and Bill was seeing Saul Tigh.

_But they don't live together_ , the voice in his head reminded him. _Tigh told you so himself. Dad lives alone._

**

Bill had apparently bought so much at the marketplace that he couldn't open the door to the cabin himself. Hearing him, Laura opened the door before he could struggle with it.

"You watching for me?" he asked, setting his bags down on the floor of the cabin.

"You were gone a long time," she said. "I was starting to get worried. I didn't know if you'd make it home before dark."

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "I got to talking with Saul." 

"Oh?" She grinned at him. "And how did that go?"

He looked down at his bag. "It went fine. He gave me the jacket." He took it off so she could see it. 

"He did a good job," she observed. It was good workmanship, sturdy and warm-looking. "I wish he could make something for me. When you told me what he and Caprica Six were doing, I never would have imagined he'd make this good of a tailor."

Bill said nothing. He was staring aimlessly at the jacket's buttons, which had come from a Colonial uniform.

"Don't you think it's wrong to keep him in the dark?" Laura asked, knowing what he was thinking. "I would think he'd deserve to know more than anyone."

"I thought we agreed to keep it quiet," Bill said softly. "I thought it was safer this way." He went to hang his jacket up, smoothing it on the hook.

"I know." 

They were both quiet, then Bill opened the bag and started pulling things out. "But look at all I got you. Maybe you can have some clothes that actually fit now." 

Laura smiled, knowing not to press him now. You could only go so far with Bill before he shut down completely. "That'll feel good." She touched the fabric longingly. It was nice to have new clothes -- she'd been gaining weight and it felt good to wear clothes that weren't hanging off her. Even better to have new ones -- or new to her ones, at least. And a _hairbrush_. It was good to need a hairbrush. 

"And look what I found." Bill pulled something out of the bag with a flourish. "Remember this?"

"Oh, _Bill_ ," she exclaimed. "Is this the same one?" She held the red dress up, trying to get a good look at it. If it wasn't the same one she'd had on New Caprica, it was very, very similar. She had always wondered what had happened to it. Probably lost in the exodus.

He laughed, some light coming back into his eyes. "You tell me."

She smiled. "Let's say it is." She sighed. "That seems like a lifetime ago."

"I know." Bill frowned, his earlier levity gone. 

"Tell him, Bill," Laura said insistently, knowing what that look was about. "Tell him why you don't stay with him more often. Why you don't _live_ with him."

"Laura," he said. In their months as housemates, she'd come to know what this tone meant, and it meant that the stubborn Bill Adama was at his most stubborn.

"Not Saul, not Lee?" she went on. 

"The more it spreads, the riskier it is," he said. "And I haven't seen Lee." 

She frowned. "Is he still off wandering?"

"I think so," Bill said quietly. "Saul said it was something he felt he needed to do. I can understand that. If he needs to think, he needs to think." He paused. "Especially after Kara disappeared." 

Laura squeezed Bill's hand. "I hope he's doing all right."

"He'll manage."

**

Lee showed up at Tigh's place on Saturday, not exactly certain how this was going to go.

"It's unlocked!" Tigh called when Lee knocked. He let himself in. He could hear voices from the kitchen and Tigh laughing.

"Hi." Lee poked his head cautiously around the corner. Tigh and Bill were at the stove together, smiling. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." Tigh was still shaking with mirth. "Bill. Bill!"

"Oh, right." Bill took a pot off the stove and pushed past Lee with a brief "Excuse me."

Lee took a moment to study the scene and shook his head. Why had he been worried that his father had a girlfriend? He and Tigh were perfectly happy. 

Bill put the pot on the table and then turned to Lee. "Son." He reached out and embraced Lee warmly. "It's so good to see you."

"You, too, Dad." Lee hugged him tight. And it was good. The other day had been weird, but he'd forget about it now. In fact, he felt somewhat ashamed he'd even suspected his father of being unfaithful. It was clear -- and got clearer as the evening went on -- that he was head over heels in love with Saul Tigh.

_Whatever reason they have for not living together is their problem_ , Lee thought.

As they sat down to dinner, Lee's mind was now firmly fixed on the fresh vegetables and meat (an improvement over algae he still got excited about, even months later).

"I didn't know you were back in town," Bill was saying. "Not until Saul told me he'd invited you to dinner."

Lee looked down at his fork. Did he suspect Lee had watched him from a distance without saying anything that day? "I actually only got back a few days ago. I decided I'd had enough of exploring." He went on to tell them a bit about the surrounding country, paying close attention to Bill's reaction. He had no idea where he lived, but it was apparently far from town to hear Tigh talk about it. 

"I can see wanting to settle," Bill said. "Sometimes you just get tired of being by yourself. You need people, civilization." 

Out of the corner of his eye, Lee noticed Tigh stiffen. 

Maybe there was something there after all. The conversation drifted at that point and Lee didn't have a chance to probe any further -- not that he dared saying anything with Tigh there. 

Whatever tension there was was very subtle -- outwardly, they acted like a perfectly happy couple. 

"So, how's business?" Bill said.

"It's good." Tigh set his fork down. "Caprica was really onto something when she came up with the idea. Of course, neither of us knew how to sew or anything -- we kind of figured it out ourselves. But it worked. And we do pretty good business. Only place in this village you can get new clothes, I think." He paused. "That reminds me, Lee, I've got your pants. Caprica's still working on your hat."

"Pants?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you?" Tigh went back to eating. "You two actually just missed each other, that day you came in for your jacket."

"I see," Bill said, looking somewhat distracted. Lee looked over at him, but he avoided his gaze. He was beginning to get suspicious again.

After dinner, Tigh had Lee try his pants on, which kept him from trying to ask his father any more questions. They fit perfectly, though, and Lee was very impressed with Tigh's skills. 

Tigh seemed to puff up with pride. "Pretty good for a tailor with one eye, huh? Never picked up a needle in my life before we came here."

"That's really good, Colonel."

"For frak's sake, will you call me Saul?" His voice was rough but he was grinning. "We're practically family."

"Okay, Saul." Lee smiled and they shook hands. "What do I owe you?"

"Not a thing," Saul declared. "This one's on the house. Trying to get on the boyfriend's kid's good side."

They both laughed and Saul tousled Lee's hair, something he hadn't done since Lee was little. 

His father stopped him in the living room as he was about to leave. "It really was good to see you, son," he said. "We'll have to do this again."

_He's spending the night_ , Lee realized. _That's good_. He was surprised at himself at how much he cared about his father and Tigh's relationship.

"Definitely, Dad." They hugged. "Good night."

"Good night," Bill echoed and he sat down on the couch again with his book. 

Lee put his coat on and left. He was just turning to shut the door when he noticed something odd.

Why did his father's book have two bookmarks?


	2. Chapter 2

Lee wasn't doing it on purpose. He just happened to spot his father after he left Saul's the next morning, and he just happened to have the idea to follow him. He was just making sure. He knew his father probably didn't have someone else. But somehow, he just couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. 

His father was in the marketplace again, buying things. It occurred to Lee that he was getting an awful lot for just one person, which only served to add to his suspicions. 

He didn't _want_ it to be like this. He didn't like suspecting his father, and he didn't want to cause trouble between him and Tigh. Which was why he was being very careful not to say anything until he was as sure as he could be.

So, to _be_ sure, he continued on as he'd been doing, covertly following his father as he went along with his errands. He picked up some books, which wasn't unusual, but then he stopped at a stand selling religious items. 

Lee briefly considered the possibility that his father had converted, but decided against that almost immediately. He had to be looking for something for someone else. Would Tigh have sent him to pick something up? Lee knew he was religious, but something about the prospect rang false.

Bill picked up an idol Lee couldn't identify and examined it. He said something to the proprietor and, apparently liking what he heard, paid for it.

Lee stayed a few paces behind Bill until they came to the edge of town. Here was his chance to find out where his father lived.

His months spent wandering the country had given Lee the ability to track animals and hide in the brush, which helped him conceal his presence from his father. Lee followed him for about three miles, and never once saw any indication that Bill knew he was there.

Lee stopped when the cabin came into view, letting Bill climb the hill by himself. He watched him go in and then waited some more. After an hour or so, no one came out and Lee decided to try a more direct approach.

He walked right up and knocked on the door. His father took rather longer than Lee would have expected to answer the door and he couldn't seem to hide his bafflement, as much as he was obviously trying.

"What are you doing here, son?" 

"I came to see you," Lee said. He paused, noticing that Bill seemed to be purposefully blocking his view of something in the cabin behind him. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Bill took a surreptitious glance behind him, as if trying to figure out what Lee could see. "It's nothing." He stepped out of the house and closed the door firmly behind him. "I was just about to go hunting. Want to come?"

"You have supplies?" Lee asked skeptically.

"Yeah, yeah." Bill shrugged. "I have some stuff in a hunting blind a few miles away, in the woods."

Lee frowned. This was almost certainly a diversion. "Maybe another day."

"Suit yourself." To Lee's dismay, Bill turned and locked the door before heading off toward the woods.

Lee scowled. His father's house _would_ have a lock. He tried the door when Bill was out of sight but the lock was well-constructed.. He even tried looking through the windows, but he couldn't see anything. Once, he thought he might have seen movement through one window, and one of the rooms had curtains drawn, but he couldn't be certain he'd really seen anything.

**

He went back to the village at a much slower pace, the intention of telling Saul his suspicions weighing heavily on him. When he got to the stall, Saul was there with Caprica Six. 

"Hello," she said effusively. "How are you, Lee? It's been a long time!"

Lee was surprised by the warmth of her greeting, but was happy to return it. "Can I borrow Saul a bit?" he asked.

She grinned at her business partner. "Certainly. I think I can handle things on my own for a bit."

Saul, looking surprised, ushered Lee into the back of the tent. 

The back was mostly a storage area with boxes and bolts of cloth stacked as high as Lee was tall. The only light came from a lantern affixed to one of the rafters, which cast a dim glow over the room.

"What's that?" Lee suddenly, pointing to the wooden structure tucked into a corner.

Saul frowned. "Don't be like that," he said sternly. "That's my altar for the shop."

Lee noted it was dedicated to Ares and Artemis, Saul's two personal patrons. There was a third god represented, as well—Athena.

"Athena?"

"Yeah, for the sewing. You know, goddess of textiles?"

Lee frowned. The idol his father had been buying certainly wasn't any of these. "You don't keep any other patrons?" he asked.

"Nope," Saul said. He was looking at Lee like he was nuts. "Why?"

"Saul, I…" Lee ran his hands through his hair. How did he say this? Things seemed to be going so well between them. He didn't want to ruin it.

"Spit it out."

Lee sighed. "I think my father might have a girlfriend."

"What?" Saul's eye went wide. "You have got to be joking. No. You don't joke about things like that. Bill cheating on me? What the frak is wrong with you?"

" _Saul_." Lee said sharply. "I'm not joking. I wish I was." He held up his hands like he was trying to defend himself. "I just noticed some stuff." He went on to explain everything he'd observed over the past few days, watching as Saul's eye got narrower and narrower as he went on. 

When he finished, Saul still looked very skeptical, his arms crossed over his chest. "You're telling me," he finally said, his voice low and deadly, "that my partner, who I have been waiting to be with for five years…"

"Wait, what do you mean five years?" Lee had not been expecting that.

Saul sighed. "We were planning to… you know, get together… when the Cylons hit. Spend our retirement together." He looked slightly embarrassed to be admitting the romantic plans they'd had to Bill's son, especially since Lee had been in the dark about all of this. 

Lee nodded. Perhaps this was the first time they had told this to anyone.

"Then, all of a sudden, we were back in the service and he wanted to wait 'til we found Earth, found a home. You know, regs and stuff. But the very day we settled here, your dad…" He sighed and shook his head. "No, Bill wouldn't do this to me. Not my Bill. Not after all these years."

Lee sighed. "I'm just saying what I saw. He was getting all that stuff, and he still lives up in that cabin by himself…"

"There's got to be some other explanation," Saul muttered. "No _way_ he's got a woman up there." He pushed past Lee and into the shop. "Mind your own damn business for once, Apollo."

**

Bill was concentrating very hard on not stabbing himself in the nose with the mustache scissors when Laura appeared in his bedroom doorway.

"Are you excited?" she asked.

"Mmhm." Bill frowned and made a few more snips.

"I think it's wonderful you're going out for Eros Day," she said. "A nice romantic dinner, I hope?"

"And stargazing." Satisfied that his mustache was in order, Bill set to shaving. "I'm taking him to the service." 

"That's the nicest part," she commented, coming closer. "It's a great idea they've had to keep up the traditions. I wish I could go. It would be nice to look for home, hear all those old stories again. I haven't done anything like that since that time on New Caprica."

"Well," Bill said, picking up his razor. "Find yourself a boyfriend. Or do you just like dating vicariously through me?"

Laura rolled her eyes. "That's easy for you to say! Your potential dating pool doesn't think you're dead."

Bill smirked. "I'm sure Cottle would take you."

"Cottle." Laura laughed and sat down on Bill's bed. "I'm sure he has other things to worry about." 

Cottle was the only person besides Bill who knew Laura was still alive. He'd been up occasionally to look at her, and had pronounced her perfectly healthy. On his last visit, he had expressed his dismay that she remained in seclusion.

"Here you finally have the chance to live, and what do you do?" he'd muttered, as he and Laura sat outside, sharing one of his new joints. "Stay holed up here."

She'd tried to explain to him how important it was that people believe in the dying leader, how people needed to feel secure in the home she'd led them to, but now, she had to admit she was having second thoughts.

"Well," Bill said, running a comb through his damp hair. "I could use some good luck. When we talked the other day, Saul was kind of short with me."

"I'm sure you'll make it up to him tonight," Laura said.

"I hope so." Bill took his shirt from the bed and put it on. 

"You're going to stay the night, right?"

"Hopefully." Bill took one final look at himself in the mirror, tucking his hair behind his ears. "May not be back 'til late tomorrow."

She smiled. "Good." 

He raised his eyebrows. "You have plans?"

She smiled. "Not that I know of. But I'm dating vicariously through you, remember?"

He snorted and she hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. "Have a good time, Bill. You deserve to have a nice evening."

**

Lee went back and forth with himself about whether he was going to use the opportunity of Eros Day to go up to his father's place and have another look around. He would be guaranteed to be alone, with no danger that his father might be watching him from the treeline as there had been the other day.

He felt somewhat guilty about way he'd gotten the information—Saul had practically cornered him in the market to tell him that Bill had a whole evening planned for them, clearly on the defensive. 

Thus, Bill would hopefully be occupied into the next day. He even knew they were taking part in the stargazing, which started just before sunset, and that they were having dinner before then. Thus, Lee was able to plan when to leave so that he didn't meet Bill on the way to the cabin.

He got there with plenty of time before dark. He didn't really like sneaking around his father's home, didn't like that he _needed_ to be suspicious of him. He hoped there would be an easy answer—if Bill really did have a girlfriend, Lee didn't know how he'd break it to Saul. They really had looked so happy.

Without the fear that he was being watched, the lock wasn't very hard to undo at all. The cabin was dark and deserted—Lee breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. He stepped into the entryway and removed his jacket. In the fading light, he could see that the house was small but homey—definitely the kind of place his father would build for himself. 

The main living area had simple furniture, taken from the Admiral's quarters back on _Galactica_. Lee gave everything a cursory glance. There was a book on the end table, but that one had only one bookmark. A woman's shawl was draped over the back of the couch. 

Lee paused and picked it up. He recognized this—it had belonged to Laura Roslin.

Although, his mind added, that wasn't so odd was it? Perhaps he'd kept it when she'd died. After all, it was still warm and while he couldn't picture his father wearing it, he supposed anything would do on cold winter nights.

Lee put the shawl back where he'd found it and headed for the dining table. Two chairs, but he supposed his father was anticipating a visitor—though why he'd never invited Saul up was beyond him.

He moved into the next room, his father's bedroom. Again, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The bed was neatly made and many of the items on the vanity were gone, Bill having presumably taken an overnight bag with him. There was no sign, thankfully, that the bedroom was designed to accommodate more than one person. 

That left just one room to look in.

Slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door.

He wasn't quite ready for what he saw there. 

Almost everything in the room looked very familiar. The clothes on the bed were the ones he'd seen his father buying the other day, the religious idol was on the bureau. 

There was a picture of his father and Laura Roslin on the bedside table. 

He picked it up, studying it. They looked so happy back on New Caprica. Lee had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

"It's not what you think."

Part of him had known she would come, but part of him was surprised. He turned slowly, the picture still in his hands. 

"Hello, Lee."


End file.
